Ink fountain



June19, 1945. A, DAGER 2,378,690

INK FOUNTAIN Filed Jan. 24, 1944- A18EPT AGER;

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Patented June 19, 1945 of UNITE-D STATE I INK FOUNTAIN Albert'Dager, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application January 2 V This invention relates to printers ink fountains, and has for an object the provision of a fountain .which maybe mounted within a chase.

It iszordinary practice to provide a large ink fountain which is secured to a press adjacent the :distributing disc. Often, in small commercial work, differentcolored printing inks are utilized, which requires that the regular fountain be removed, thoroughly washed, the inking rollers cleaned, and the distributing disc washed before 4, 1944', Serial No. 519,434

3 Claims. (01. 1013,66)

sivelyfmoved within the reservoir. The reservoir in the present instance is made up of two side plates 4 and 5, an end or back plate 6 interposed between the side plates 4 and 5,'and a front plate .I, which'is adjustably movable between the side plate s.-v ,The reservoir also includes top and bottomplates 8 and. 9. The top and bottom plates,

a different colored ink is placedin the fountain.

Such a job is laborious and requires considerable time-ordinarily upto one hour.

- The present invention contemplates the use of a fountain which may be placed in the chase along with the form where its intended use is for light commercial work; A plurality of these fountains may be provided, holding different colored inksso that it becomes a simple matter to replace a, fountain within a chase, the only work on the part of the printer being that of cleaning the inking rollers andthe distributing disc when a, different colored ink is used. The task of'cleaning rollers and a, distributing disc -is relatively simple and 'does' not require much time.

' object of the present invention is the prov'ision of a supplementary ink fountain which mayhold different bodied inks, and wherein the fountain may be adjusted to permit flow of the inks regardless of the body thereof, therefrom.

"simplein construction, and inexpensive in cost a: manufacture.

With the above mentioned and other objects in construction, association features,all as shown the accompanying drawing, described generally,

Other objects include an ink fountain which is v and 'more particularly pointed out in the' claims.

In'th'e drawing:

' Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, of a portion of a printing press and chase incorporating the invention,

' Figure 2 is a. longitudinal sectional view of the improved, ink fountain, I Figure 3 is atop plan view Figure 4 is a sectional view on Figure 2, and,

Figure 5 is a plan view of a chase within which is locked the improved ink fountain, together with a form. ,1

Referring to the figures, the improved ink fountain includes an ink reservoir l, a plunger 2, and means 3 whereby the plunger may be progresof the ink-fountain, the line 4-4 of pins 28 .are bell varms of. said bell cranks are tied together'by a together'with the back and side plates, are conveniently held in assemblage by means of screws, designated generally as 10. I have found it convenient togroove the side plates 4 and 5 at H and -l2for reception of tongues l3 and I4 formed on the back plate 6.

The front plate I is provided with tongues l5 and I6, which fit within grooves l1 and IS, in the side plates 4 and 5. The front plate is provided with a forked or bifurcated member l9, which overlies the top 8.: The top 8 is formed with a central'screw-threaded bore 20 adapted to receive an externally threaded annular nut 2|.

The bifurcated member l9 engages the nut in an annular groove 22. The threaded portion of the nut engages the threads 20 in top 8, whereby upon 'turning'the nut, the front plate may be raised or lowered relative to'the side plates and base 9.

and attached to said plunger is a stem 24. This stem ispfassed through the central opening of the annular; nut 21. The stem is provided on its surface'with longitudinally extending teeth 25, thus,

forming a rack. Spacedly secured to the top 8 are a pair of upstanding arms 26 and 21. Rockably secured to each upstanding arm by means of cranks 29 and 3B. The upper cross bar 3|...Interposed between and having bearingengagement with arms 32 and 33 of said bellcranks is rod 34. This rod carries a detent ,35 adapted to. have engagement on stem 24.

with the rack 25 ;,The detent is urged into such engagement with the rack through the medium of a coil spring 36 wrapped around the rod 34, with .one end secured to the rod while the opposite end engages arm 32.

- *Centrally carried by cross bar 3| is means 31 stem 39. Interposed between the annular nut and the button 38 is a coil spring 43.

The operation, uses and advantages of the invention just described are as follows:

Referring to Figure 5, a chase 44 has placed therein form 45 and the improvedink fountain.

case that the button 38 may be readily engaged" by the platen. Referring to Figure l, the rolls 48 are shown overlying the distributing disc 49 and the chase is secured in the usual manner, that is, by a chase holder. at 50. When the platen 50 closes, the button 38 is depressed. Contact with the button '38 will move the buttoninwardly, relative to cross. bar 4|, and may or may not rock the bell cranks 29 and 30. If, however, the bell cranks are rocked, detent 35 by its engagement with a tooth of the rack 25 will move the stem inwardly of the reservoir which, of necessity, would move the plunger 2 downwardly of the reservoir, that is, toward the base 9. The bell cranks areimmediatly restored to the position shown in Figure 2 after such a rockin motion thr'ough'the medium of one or more leaf springs 5| fixedly carried by the upstanding arms 26 and 21 and engaging at their free ends the arms 32 "and 33 of the bell cranks. This rocking movement of the bell cranks is restrained in one direction by one or more plates 52 secured to the arms Hand 21.

We 'nowassume that it is desired to supply ink to the distributing disc through the-medium of the inking rolls. The reservoir is filled with the character ofink desired, whether it be light bodied or heavy bodied and regardless :of color. To do this, the nutt3l may be screwed upwardly relative to the top 8 so. as to provide a large opening between the end of the front plate I and base 9. The ink' may then be poured or squeezed through a tube through said opening and into the reservoir. It is assumed, of course, that the plunger 2 has been elevated to a position adjacent the top 8 through the simple expediency of releasing the ratchet from engagement with the rack. After the required amount of ink has been placed within the reservoir, the nut 2| is turned so as to adjust the space existing between the front plate and the base 9; in other words, providing an adjustable orifice depending upon the bodyof the; ink. If it is light-bodied, the orifice would be small, whereas for heavy inks, the orifice may be large.

The fountain. with the ink within the reservoir is then placed within the case and locked inposition, in the manner heretofore set forth. After the inking rollers havepassed over the form, the platen 50 closes and the button 38 is contacted, and if nut 42 is so adjusted relative to; the cross It will be noted that the This platen. is shown chase in the press.

bar that the spring 43 is compressed, the striking of the button will rock the bell crank, arms and move the stem 24 due to the ratchet and rack arrangement. Such movement will, of course, move the plunger 2 downwardly to impose a ing to force the ink through the orifice 23. This ink so forced through the orifice "is p'ickedu-p by the inking rollers and distributed on the front pressure upon the ink within the reservoir 'tendof the plunger.

plate I and likewise onto disc 49. Thus, the ink in the reservoir is gradually forced through the orifice as the plunger descends within the reservoir. If it is not desired to move the stem for every excursion of the inking rollers, the nut 42 can be adjusted so as to release some of the compression on spring 43, which will allow the button and its stem to move without, however, rocking the bell cranks. Such a condition might be required if the inkis light-bodied, asi't would tend to flow through the orifice without undue pressure being applied thereto through the medium After the required run has been made utilizing the particular form and the chase, itmay be desiredt'o use colors. This is readily accomplished .by placing another fountain in a chase containing the required form and placing the The inking rolls and the distributing disc are cleaned and the press is again ready for operation.

The square interior of the reservoir is "purely illustrative, as the reservoir, either external or internal, may be of different shapes and forms,

the only recniirement being that its external shape be such as topermit it to be readily locked within a chase.

I claim:

1. 'In a printers ink fountain, a reservoircomprising a sidewall, base and top members secured to said side wall, and a Wall movable relative to the side wall and base to provide and adjustable orifice between the base and an end of said movable wall; means for adjustably-movingsaid movable wall comprising a nut in threaded engagement with the top member and carrying said said ink fountain including a reservoir for ink,

a plunger within said reservoir for exerting a pressure .on said ink, a stem for said plunger, and meansfor progressively moving said stem to cause progressive movement of the plunger within the reservoir; said means including a bell crank rockably secured to the reservoir, a pawl carried by the .bell crank, a rack on said stem engageable by said pawl, and a spring-tensioned button carried by the bell crank for engagement with theinking rolls to rock said bell crank.

3. In a printers ink fountain, a reservoir, a

plunger and its stem movable within said reservoir, said stem provided with a rack, a bell crank rockablysecured to the reservoir, a pawl carried by the bell crank and engageable with the rack, a button provided with a stem loosely mounted with relation to the bell crank, a coil spring surrounding the stem, and means for vadjustably compressing the spring against the button to regulate the degree of movement of said button necessary to rock said bell crank and produce movement of the plunger stem through the rack and pawl arrangement.

ALBERT .D AGER. 

